Quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly



March 9, 1965 w. H. KAGLEY 3,172,518

QUICK CHANGE MOUNTING FOR A MAGAZINE AND ALIGNING CHUTE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 15, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. W71. 4 IHM HE/wEe-r K061. 5y

M fd/m/ March 9, 1965 w. H. KAGLEY 3,172,518

QUICK CHANGE MOUNTING FOR A MAGAZINE AND ALIGNING CHUTE ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 15, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n 'n L 4 75 INVENTOR. MAL/HM fifseeser 154645) flrroeneys March 9, 1965 w. H. KAGLEY 3,172,518

QUICK CHANGE MOUNTING FOR A MAGAZINE AND ALIGNING CHUTE ASSEMBLY Filed NOV. 15, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. MAL/0M $213597 15%; E)

United States Patent 3,172,518 QUICK CHANGE MOUNTING FOR A MAGAZINE AND ALIGNING CHUTE ASSEMBLY William Herbert Kagley, Dinuba, Calif, assignor to Lindsay Ripe Olive Company, Lindsay, Calif a corporation of California Filed Nov. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 324,020 13 Claims. (Cl. 193-43) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 201,068, filed June 8, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling pieces of material undergoing mechanical movement and positioning in connection with processing thereof, an example of the material being handled being various kinds of fruit to be pitted. The invention has special utility in connection with the processing of oblong, oval articles such as olives, due to the fact that for commercial acceptance olives must be pitted by ejecting the pit from the flesh along the major axis thereof. This in turn requires that the olives be individually aligned in conjunction with pitting mechanisms so thatthe major axes of the olives are coincident with the axes of cooperating punches and dies. While the present invention has utility in other environments, for convenience of description and to emphasize the effectiveness of the invention it will be described in conjunction with an olive pitting machine.

An early form of the type of olive pitting machine under consideration is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,246,843, granted June 24, 1941 on an application of Edward P. Drake. A generally similar but improved machine is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,341,857, granted February 15, 1944 on an application of Drake, Alberty and Kagley (Kagley being the same individual who is the applicant in the present case). Another example of the elements of such a pitting machine upon which the immediate application discloses and claims improvements is United States Patent No. 2,314,484 for Metering and Aligning Machine, granted March 23, 1943 to the said Drake, Alberty and Kagley.

A brief description of the major elements in the machine as a whole as shown in these prior patents is desirable in order to establish environment. The machine comprises a feeding device which may be in the form of a hopper associated with a vibrating tray which delivers olives to a magazine metering device from which they travel down an inclined aligning chute under the control of spacing and positioning mechanism comprising primarily a chain with spacer fingers thereon, after which they are presented by the cooperation of gripping fingers in correct positioning to a punch and die mechanism.

Heretofore the mechanical designs of machines of this type have embodied a relatively permanent mounting of the magazine and aligning chute in the frame of the machine, necessitating the use of tools in a relatively tedious and time consuming manner to remove the magazine and chute for replacement or other service. Access to the securing bolts has been inconvenient and diificult. This problem is the more vexing because different chutes must be installed for different size grouping of olives. In the ordinary course of operation, while a given chute will handle olives of graduated sizes, there is a limit to the minimum and maximum sizes which it can handle; and it has been found desirable to provide three different chutes, each one being designed for a size grouping of olives.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the mounting of a magazine and aligning chute assembly in and as a component of a general machine of the character described.

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A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting for such an assembly by which the assembly can be locked in position for operation as a unit of the machine or can be quickly conveniently released for removal from the machine for replacement or service or repair.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mounting of the character described by which the magazine and chute assembly can be mounted in the machine in operative association therewith and also quickly and easily removed therefrom without the use of any tools.

These and additional objects andadvantages of the invention will become apparent from an examination of the drawings and consideration of the more detailed description which follows.

In general, the improvement comprises in conjunction with a stationary fixed machine frame and an elongated magazine and chute assembly adapted to the metering and inclined conveyance of articles therethrough, a mounting means to releasably support the assembly on the frame comprising a yoke arrangement on the chute in the region of its upper end, a quickly releasable key shaft mechanism supporting the yoke arrangement and in turn being supported by the frame, a swingable hook mechanism rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced downward from the key shaft mechanism, and a pin on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook mechanism.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical side elevation of portions of an olive pitting machine illustrating the quick change magazine and aligning chute mounting in conjunction with and as part of the machine.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional detail taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and illustrating the lowermost (hook mechanism) of two mounting units.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1, and illustrated the uppermost (yoke and shaft) of the two mounting units.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a view of the same portion of the device which is shown in FIGURE 3 but with the locking shaft device in the process of being withdrawn after rotation of the crank handle shown therein from the position illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a general reproduction of the upper portion of FIGURE 1, but with the magazine and aligning chute in the process of being removed from their operative installed position.

FIGURE 10 illustrates swedges 41a for interlocking the key 62 in a key slot 41b of the shaft 41.

The feeding device referred to is identified by the reference numeral 20, only a fragment of the forward end thereof being illustrated in the present drawings. Further details of a suitable feeding device of the character identified are disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 200,985, filed June 8, 1962, for Mounting Device for Vibrator Feeding Mechanism.

A magazine or metering device is partially illustrated at 21 (the remaining details not being pertinent to the present invention). This magazine or metering device includes a rigid inclined section fixedly associated with an aligning chute assembly 22. The latter is supported by means to be hereinafter described upon a main frame 23, which latter at various places sustains the entire operating mechanism.

Cooperating with the aligning chute assembly is a spacing and positioning mechanism 24 comprising an endless chain 25 carrying fingers 26. This chain is driven from any suitable prime mover a portion of its course being over a sprocket 30.

Beyond the lower end of the aligning chute assembly is the peripheral region of a rotary punch and die mechanism 31, which includes among other elements gripper fingers 32 which cooperate with spacing fingers 26 on the chain to seize individual olives delivered at the lower end of the aligning chute assembly and carry them into pitting position.

The aligning chute assembly as illustrated herein comprises a pair of elongated trough shaped members 35 parallel to each other and bolted together and placed at a steep incline when installed in operative position in the machine. Insofar as the presentinvention is concerned it does not matter whether one or a pair or more such chutes are involved. These chutes are located beneath and in immediate proximity to the lower reach 25a of the chain 25' so that the fingers 26 mounted on the chain can extend down into the chute to restrain the downward rolling of olives- O and thus retain a series of olives in regularly spaced relationship and in position for the synchronized movement of the gripping fingers 32 as each olive reaches the lower extremity of its aligning chute. Parenthetically, it should be noted that the location of the chain and its immediately associated parts, such as sprockets, etc., above the aligning chute assembly is one of the factors which has heretofore rendered removal of the chute assembly difficult and tedious.

Having established one known environment and certain elements of the entire combination with which my improved mounting cooperates and combines, we will now turn to the crux of the invention which is the means for mounting the aligning chute assembly (including the magazine) on the frame 23' of the machine,

Inasmuch as the upper mounting device numbered 40 is ordinarily the first one to be released or replaced, it will be the first one described. Referring particularly to FIG- URES 3 and 6, it will be noted that the frame 23'is formed with two parallel vertical branches between which the aligning chute assembly is located. A key shaft 41extends between these two frame partsbeing rotatably mounted.

in bushings/32 disposed in the frame parts. One end of the shaft 41 terminates in hand crank 43.

Bored bosses 45, which are identical and only one will be described, extend downward from the chute and embrace'the shaft 41, and their upper Y branches 46 support and preferably are bolted to cooperating flanged members 47 which constitute a part of the magazine or metering mechanism 21. The conformation of the Y branches 46"is such as to provide olive passages 48 of the magazine.

The shaft 41 can be retained in a chute supporting locked position shown in FIGURE 3 or can be partially rotated and withdrawn (the withdrawal being illustrated in process in FIGURE 6), and when the shaft 41 is completely withdrawn from the bosses the upper end of the aligning chute assembly and magazine is unsupported and ready for removal subject to detachment of the lower mountingmeans. The'unlocking rotation and withdrawal of the shaft 41 is accomplished by means of cooperating keys and keyways which will next be described.

The bore of each boss has an upper relatively wide keyway 61 opening'to the bore. The shaft 41 is provided with an elongated key 62 formed with notches 63 therein, each notch being approximately the length of the bore 60 of the boss. When the notches 63 are in registry with the end extremities of the keyway 61 the shaft 41 may be rotated from the position shown in FIGURE 6 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 which brings the shoulders 63a at the ends of the notches 63 into axial restraining engagement with the outside faces of the bosses. The key 62 is of a length whereby the opposite ends thereof abut against the respective contiguous bushings 42' or contiguous inner faces of the frame branches which support the key shaft 41 when the shaft is in the locking position as shown in FIGURE 3. When the shaft 41 is thus locked against withdrawal the bosses are vertically supported by a portion of the surfaces of their bores bearing upon the circular surface of the key shaft. This can be seen from an examination of FIGURE 7 taken in conjunction with FIGURE' 3. Under those conditions the key 62 reposes 180 rotational distancefrom the keyway 61. V

Abutment of the ends of the key 62 against the bushings or frame branches in conjunction with the innerlocking of the key notches 63 with the bosses provides a fixed rigid lateral positioning of the upper end of the chute assembly and magazine.

It will be noted that the locking crank 43 extends at an angle to the axis of the shaft 41 and generally coincident with the radial plane of the key 62 so that when the shaft 41 is in the locking position, as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 7, the weight of the crank 43 itself will cooperate in holding the shaft in the locked position.

As should now be apparent, the key shaft can be freed and removed by turning the crank 43 approximately 180 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURES 6 and 8, which brings the key 62 in rotational registry with the keyway 61 whereupon the shoulders of the notches 63 no longer engage the surfaces of the bosses 45 and consequently. the shaft 41 can be axially withdrawn by a longitudinal pull on the handle 43. The bushing 42 at the right hand side of FIGURES 3 and 6 is formed with a slot 42a, aligned with the keyway 61 and through which the key 62 may pass. As previously stated this will free the upper end of the aligning chute and magazine assembly.

FIGURE lOillustrates swedg es ila for interlocking the key 62 in a key slot 41b of the shaft 41. p

The lower mounting, generally designated 70, comprises inits simplestterms' a releasable hook support. The hook thereof is numbered 71 and it comprises an annular split mountingring '72at the upper end and an elongated open hook shapedretaining element 73 at the other end.

The mounting ring 72 is clamped to and suspended froma rock shaft 74. This shaft 74 extends between the frame sections 23, it being rotationally mounted in bushings of the frame section as shown in FIGURE 2. Restraint against axial displacement is provided by a flanged thrust collar. 75 restricted by a cap '76 which latter is bolted to the frame. section 23. A set screw 77 rotationally locks the collar to. the shaft; and a hexagonal head 75a on the collar provides reception for a wrench to be used for adjustment purposes as next described.

For lengthening or shortening the eifective suspensionaldimension of the hook mounting assembly 70 (depending on the chute installed). there is interposed be tween the shaft 74 and the mounting ring .72 an eccentric tubularspacer sleeve 89. Rotational positioning of the eccentric spacer sleeve 80 Within the mounting ring 72 has the efiect of shifting the center of the mounting ring up or down to, in effect, shorten or lengthen the hook 71. The spacer sleeve is keyed to the. shaft by Woodrutf keys 84 held by setscrews 85.

The mounting ring 72, as previously noted, is in the form of a split collar as is clearly seen in FIGURES 1 and .9 and is provided with-separated ears 86 and 87 which are clamped together by a machine bolt 88 to secure the relationship of the mounting ring 72 to the spacer sleeve 80 and the shaft 74.

The hook element 73 actually is in the form of an elongated open mouthed sleeve as may been seen in FIGURES 2 and.9, which engages a pin 90, the latter being clamped at each end to supporting lugs 91 by means of plates 92 and bolts 93, the lugs being parts of the aligning chute assembly. The ends of the hook sleeve 73 abut against the lugs 91 to assure correct lateral positioning and rigidity.

A spring biased detent 95, the tension of which may be adjusted by a set screw 96, yieldably holds the hook sleeve in supporting engagement with the pin 90. A thrust with suflicient force in the unlatching direction will depress the detent against the action of the spring and enable the hook sleeve to be removed from the pin. When that is accomplished the lower end of the aligning chute and magazine assembly is unsupported, and on the assumption that the upper supporting element has been disconnected the aligning chute and magazine assembly may be readily removed from the machine as a whole. However, it may be noted that if a feeding device is employed in conjunction therewith which has a lower inclined section as illustrated in broken lines at reference numeral 20 and as is more fully illustrated in the aforesaid copending application, Serial No. 200,- 985, it may be necessary or at least desirable to first swing the feeding device out of position in order to more conveniently remove the aligning chute and magazine assembly.

By the mounting means which have been illustrated and described a firm and operative mounting of the align ing chute and magazine assembly is attained and such assembly is very readily released for removal by a 180 turn of the handle 43 on the key shaft 41 followed by an axial sliding of the shaft outwardly to thereby remove support from the upper end of the aligning chute assembly; and while temporarily supporting the freed upper end of the assembly the hook mounting 70 is disconnected from the pin 90 by a simple application of force in the unhooking direction and the aligning chute and magazine assembly is entirely free for removal. It can be repaired or otherwise serviced and reinstalled or a replacement unit may be installed by lifting it into general position, sliding the shaft 41 in the left hand direction as viewed in FIGURE 6 and giving the handle at 180 turn to lock it in mounting position; thereafter engaging the hook assembly 76) with the pin 90 by a simple application of force in the hooking direction.

When the parts are assembled and locked in position as described, there is a rigid triangular mounting pattern provided by the axis of the key shaft 41, axis of the shaft 74 and axis of the hook sleeve 73. By the several means described and shown the chute and magazine assembly is rigidly (but releasably) sustained relative to the frame in a predetermined position vertically and horizontally, including any predetermined angle of inclination.

While I have herein shown and described the invention in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention,

which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

What I claim is:

l. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said frame comprising spaced apart sec tions and axially aligned bearing elements in said sections, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame comprising a bored boss on the chute, releasably keyed shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported in the frame by rotational lodgment in the bearing elements, swingable hook means rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the mounting means, and means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means.

2. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame comprising a bored boss on the chute, said boss being a downwardly extending member carried by the chute, the upper portion of the boss providing a portion of a rollway for articles being handled, releasably keyed shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported by the frame, swingable hook means rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the mounting means, and means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means.

3. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aiignning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame comprising a bored boss on the chute, releasably keyed shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported by the frame, swingable hook means rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the mounting means, said hook means comprising an open mouthed sleeve, and a spring biased detent yieldably restricting the mouth of the sleeve, and means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means, said means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means being a pin adapted to be yieldably retained in the sleeve by restraint of the detent.

4. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame comprising a bored boss on the chute, releasably keyed shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported by the frame, swingable hook means rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the mounting means, and means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means, the mounting of the hook means on the frame comprising an adjustable eccentric embracing a shaft, the latter being rockably mounted in the frame.

5. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame comprising a bored boss on the chute, releasably keyed shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported by the frame, said bore having a minimum diameter section embracing the shaft means and a keyway communicating with and extending radially outward from said section, and the shaft means being provided with a key adapted to be aligned with the keyway for relative axial movement through the bore, and to be rotationally misaligned relative to the keyway to restrain axial movement through the bore, swingable hook means rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the mounting means, and means on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means.

6. A quick change mounting for a magazine and aligning chute assembly as an element in an article handling device which device comprises a stationary fixed frame and an elongated chute adapted to the conveyance of articles therethrough, said mounting comprising mounting means to releasably support the chute on the frame in a fixed position relative to the frame comprising a bored boss rigidly fixed on one portion of the chute, re-

movable shaft means extending through the bore and supporting the boss and the shaft means being supported by the frame on a fixed axis, swingable rigid hookmeans rotatably mounted on the frame at a point spaced from the boss and swingable about a fixed axis, and means rigidly fixed on the chute adapted to be releasably engaged by the hook means, said last named fixed axis, boss and hook means defining a rigid triangle whereby the said assembly is held in a fixed position relative to the frame.

7. A releasable support fora chute comprising: a frame member having an opening therethrough; a chute having a boss provided with an opening aligned with said frame opening; a keyway in the boss communicating with the opening therein and a keyway in the frame member communicating with the opening therein, said keyways being longitudinally aligned; a supporting shaft extending through said openings and having a key thereon axially alignable with said keyways and formed with an axially extending notch bounded at its ends by shoulders, said shoulders engaging opposite sides of said boss, said shaft being rotatable in said openings whereby it may be rotated to align said keys with said keyways and thereby permit axial withdrawal of said shaft from said openings to release said chute from said frame.

8. A device as defined in claim 6 in which the means rigidly fixed on the chute includes a transverse pin fixed thereto, and the hook means comprises an open mouthed sleeve releasably embracingssaid pin, and a spring biased detent yieldably restricting the mouth of the sleeve whereby said 'pin is releasably retained in the sleeve by restraint of the detent.

9. A device as defined in claim 8 wherein the rotatable mounting of the hook means on the frame comprises an eccentric journal adjustable relative to said frame to adjust the position of said chiite relative to said frame.

10. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein the removable shaft means is axially interlocked with the bored boss and is axially blocked by the frame to assiire rigid retention of lateral positioning of the boss.

11. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein means are included to prevent axial shifting of the hook means relative to the frame, and the means fixed on the chute are engaged by surfaces of the hook means to restrain the hook means against lateral shifting. a a

12. A device as defined in claim 7 wherein the key is restrained by the frame member against axial movement. 7 13. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein the means rigidly fixed on the chute includes a transverse pin fixed thereto, and the hook means comprises an open mouthed sleeve releasably embracing said pin, said means rigidly fixed on the chute also including stop elements engaged by the ends of said sleeve to prevent axial dislodgment of said sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,843 6/41 Drake 14627 2,314,484 3/43 Drake .a. 19830 2,341,857 2/44 Drake 14627 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primar Examiner. 

1. A QUICK CHANGE MOUNTING FOR A MAGAZINE AND ALIGNING CHUTE ASSEMBLY AS AN ELEMENT IN AN ARTICLE HANDLING DEVICE WHICH DEVICE COMPRISES A STATIONARY FIXED FRAME AND AN ELONGATED CHUTE ADAPTED TO THE CONVEYANCE OF ARTICLES THERETHROUGH, SAID FRAME COMPRISING SPACED APART SECTIONS AND AXIALLY ALIGNED BEARING ELEMENTS IN SAID SECTIONS, SAID MOUNTING COMPRISING MOUNTING MEANS TO RELEASABLY SUPPORT THE CHUTE ON THE FRAME COMPRISING A BORED BOSS ON THE CHUTE, RELEASABLY KEYED SHAFT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE BORE AND SUPPORTING THE BOSS AND THE SHAFT MEANS BEING SUPPORTED IN THE FRAME BY ROTATIONAL LODGMENT IN THE BEARING ELEMENTS, SWINGABLE HOOK MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE MOUNTING MEANS, AND MEANS ON THE CHUTE ADAPTED TO BE RELEASABLY ENGAGED BY THE HOOK MEANS. 